1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a modular microscope system, with an assembled microscope basic unit, which has a stand-foot, a stand upper part, and an intermediate module with an attachable binocular housing.
2. Prior Art
A microscope is already known from DE 30 37 556 A1, with a basic frame, in the vertical part of which dovetail-guides are superposed, so that drawer-shaped modules can be linked into them. The dovetail-guides, which are referred to as gliding-guides, are continuously formed at the inner wall of the housing. They require a high amount of manufacturing precision throughout the entire sliding length of each module. Because these gliding-guides are recesses in the inner wall area of the vertical stand carrier-part, which is designed in a compact construction type, manufacturing problems occur in the precise production of many superposed-layered parallel dovetail-guides. Heat influences have a negative impact as well, since larger temperature intervals may lead to pressure loads or tensile loads respectively between the inner wall of the housing on the one hand and the slide-in module on the other hand, which finally results in a more or less cumbersomely moving drawer-guide.
Furthermore, a chassis for optical devices is known from EP 90 967 B1, which is designed as a 3-dimensional distortion-stiff hollow structure, which may be assembled of several parts and for which extended aluminum oxide is the recommended material. In this, the individual housing parts may be "trimmed on", i.e., sintered together or they may be detachably connected with each other, e.g. screwed connections with a tie rod. In the case of sintered groups of parts a quick exchange of individual basic-unit-parts is not possible. In case the parts of the ceramic-chassis are connected through screws or other anchoring means, problems occur due to the different choices of materials (on the one hand ceramic, on the other hand, metal screws or metal rods respectively). It is also technically not entirely possible to produce basic-unit housings from ceramic materials with the required narrow tolerances for precision microscopes. An additional disadvantage is the susceptibility to damage or wear respectively for modularly-designed parts made from ceramics (i.e., especially parts intended for a fast exchange).